MANTOLOKING — In its ongoing battle with some oceanfront homeowners over the construction of dunes, Mantoloking has hired an attorney in its first step toward possibly condemning five pieces of oceanfront property needed for the work.

The town will offer to buy the strips of oceanfront from the five holdouts but if they don’t agree, the borough will seize them through eminent domain, Mayor George Nebel said today.

He said attorney Paul Fernicola will hire an assessor who will determine the fair market value for the parcels the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will need to construct 22-foot high dunes as part of a larger coastal beach replenishment project.

If the homeowners reject the offer, the town would move to condemn the strips and the argument over the value could wind up in court, he said.

In the meantime, Nebel said, the replenishment project would go on.

“It won’t slow down the project, but it might be four years before the case gets to court,” he said.

The borough identified the holdouts as the properties at 1067, 1071, 1121, 1217 and 1513 Ocean Ave.